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Cultivating Psychological Safety: the Hard Parts

Abstract/Description

When we’re feeling stressed, threatened, or unsafe, our bodies help us do a lot of things better. We’re able to run faster, hit harder, yell louder. We are able to notice the slightest movement out of the corner of our eye.

Things we do not do better: think creatively, work collaboratively, solve problems.

These are very human activities, and they work best in a very human environment. Our movement is coming to realize that feeling free to express ideas, questions, joys and concerns without fear of rejection or judgment is vital for agile collaboration.

But even though we say “without fear of judgment”, we don’t do a lot of talking about how to actually get there. And it’s hard!

Here’s the hard part: we not only need psychological safety for ourselves, but we’re a source of safety for our teammates. We all get scared, and we all have the power to ease each other’s fears. Let’s explore together what it takes to cultivate psychological safety for yourself and your team, and what gets in the way.

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